The statistics

In 2015, the number of animals used for the first time in procedures for scientific purposes was 4.07 million (4,069,349). The number of procedures that were conducted on animals is slightly higher at 4.14 million (4,142,631). These numbers, over the past few years have remained fairly similar with both the number of animals used and the number of procedures conducted hovering around the 4 million mark consistently.

As in previous years, the number of animal procedures that took place for the breeding of genetically modified (GM) or harmful genetic mutation (HM) animals remained at approximately 50% of all procedures conducted (2.06 million procedures).

GM animals are defined as those with genetic characteristics that have been altered using genetic engineering and HM animals are those possessing one or more genes that have undergone mutation either naturally or deliberately induced and that are known to be harmful to the animal.

The main reason for such large numbers is the creation of many different animal strains with very specific and targeted genetic mutations to single genes. Such specifically altered animals (mainly mice) would require a large number of additional identical animals to be bred in order to maintain the desired mutation within that particular strain.

Over the last 10 years, the total number of procedures has increased by 37% (an increase of 1.11 million procedures). The creation/breeding of genetically altered animals has primarily accounted for this rise (1.00 million procedures) whilst the increase in the number of experimental procedures is much smaller (107 thousand procedures).

With your help, we can free animals from laboratories for good.Our work is funded entirely by your generous support. Your donation helps to fund some of the most advanced and successful human-related techniques in many areas of medical research including cancer, Alzheimer's, asthma, heart and liver disease.

1 in 8 women in the UK will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. In partnership with Breast Cancer UK we want to raise £90,000 to fund an innovative research project that will help us to prevent the disease in more people in the future.

We rely on our amazing fundraisers to raise funds in their community to fund our ground-breaking and innovative animal free research. Our fundraising groups across the UK are the perfect place to share fundraising and volunteering ideas, network with other supporters in your area, organise fundraising events and meet up. Find a group near you.

Related

Stem cells are unspecialised cells that have the extraordinary potential to either proliferate through mitosis to produce more stem cells or to differentiate, under certain physiological or experimental conditions, into more specialised cells such as brain or muscle cells.

With your help, we can free animals from laboratories for good.Our work is funded entirely by your generous support. Your donation helps to fund some of the most advanced and successful human-related techniques in many areas of medical research including cancer, Alzheimer's, asthma, heart and liver disease.

The ARC, at the Blizard Institute QMUL, will provide a unique environment for scientists to work together to develop human-based models of skin, breast and prostate cancer, replacing mouse models. It also aims to inspire the next generation of scientists through education about animal free research.

In 2015, the number of animals used for the first time in procedures for scientific purposes was 4.07 million (4,069,349). The number of procedures that were conducted on animals is slightly higher at 4.14 million (4,142,631). These numbers, over the past few years have remained fairly similar with both the number of animals used and the number of procedures conducted hovering around the 4 million mark consistently.

With your help, we can free animals from laboratories for good.Our work is funded entirely by your generous support. Your donation helps to fund some of the most advanced and successful human-related techniques in many areas of medical research including cancer, Alzheimer's, asthma, heart and liver disease.

The use of animals in experimentation and testing in the UK is regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, known as ASPA. This Act states the legal provisions that have been created for the protection of animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes.